EnLightenment: High resolution smartphone microscopy as an educational and public engagement platform.
EnLightenment: High resolution smartphone microscopy as an educational and public engagement platform.
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DOI：
10.12688/wellcomeopenres.12841.2
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发表时间：
2017
影响因子：
--
通讯作者：
Dalgarno PA
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Wicks LC;Cairns GS;Melnyk J;Bryce S;Duncan RR;Dalgarno PA
我们开发了一个简单，具有成本效益的智能手机显微镜平台，用于教育和公众参与计划。我们通过一项国家成像计划EnLightweight展示了它的有效性和公民科学的潜力。该仪器的成本效益使该计划能够向苏格兰100多所中学提供500多台显微镜，目标是1000名12-14奥尔兹。通过仔细、量化地选择高功率、低成本的物镜透镜，我们的智能手机显微镜具有微米级的成像分辨率，工作距离为3 mm。因此，它能够对单个细胞和亚细胞特征进行成像，并保留了对幼儿的可用性。显微镜设计成套件形式，提供了一个跨学科的教育工具。通过提供完整的课程计划和支持材料，我们开发了一个框架，以探索光学设计，显微镜性能，建筑工程挑战和生命科学，生物成像，海洋生物学，艺术和技术的实际应用。一个全国性的在线图像竞赛框架EnLightning;提交了500多张高质量的图像，内容丰富，跨越多个学科。在一些提交的材料中，细胞和亚细胞特征的例子清晰可辨，我们展示了年轻的公众如何使用这些仪器进行研究级成像应用，以及该仪器在公民科学项目中的潜力。
We developed a simple, cost-effective smartphone microscopy platform for use in educational and public engagement programs. We demonstrated its effectiveness, and potential for citizen science through a national imaging initiative, EnLightenment. The cost effectiveness of the instrument allowed for the program to deliver over 500 microscopes to more than 100 secondary schools throughout Scotland, targeting 1000’s of 12-14 year olds. Through careful, quantified, selection of a high power, low-cost objective lens, our smartphone microscope has an imaging resolution of microns, with a working distance of 3 mm. It is therefore capable of imaging single cells and sub-cellular features, and retains usability for young children. The microscopes were designed in kit form and provided an interdisciplinary educational tool. By providing full lesson plans and support material, we developed a framework to explore optical design, microscope performance, engineering challenges on construction and real-world applications in life sciences, biological imaging, marine biology, art, and technology. A national online imaging competition framed EnLightenment ; with over 500 high quality images submitted of diverse content, spanning multiple disciplines. With examples of cellular and sub-cellular features clearly identifiable in some submissions, we show how young public can use these instruments for research-level imaging applications, and the potential of the instrument for citizen science programs.